Letter to My Representatives on Ableism and HR620 #HandsOffMyADA

Trumpism fuels ableist and eugenicist hate against neurodivergent and disabled people. Haters are emboldened by the GOP’s open and apparent hostility to disabled folks. These haters have heads full of myths installed by the politics of resentment. They spit these myths—propagated by Republican politicians and media—in our faces, oblivious to their own ignorance and fear.

HR620 further enshrines and promotes ableism via attacks on the ADA. Please stop doing this. Life is hard enough without constantly battling exclusion, hate, and misinformation. Accessibility is a grand social good and a powerful driver of innovation. Encourage it. My family and so many others would appreciate that. Everyone benefits from accessible design. We arguably wouldn’t have an internet if not for neurodivergent and disabled people creating accessible communication and collaboration (see the book NeuroTribes).

Disability is the most intersectional identity. Twelve years of hard-hitting Texas football contributed to my progressive disabilities. That’s…